Asotin County sits in the far southeastern corner of Washington, where Clarkston meets the Snake and Clearwater rivers across from Lewiston, Idaho. From the valley floor around Clarkston and Asotin, the land climbs into canyon and Palouse prairie hill country, so plenty of homes here have steps outside the front door as well as stairs inside.
We install stair lifts in Clarkston, Clarkston Heights-Vineland, West Clarkston-Highland and Asotin. This page walks through how local homes and hillsides affect which lift makes sense, and which programs can help cover the cost.
Most housing in the county is single-family homes and detached houses. A home with one straight flight between floors is usually the simplest job, since a straight rail mounts to the stair treads and runs from bottom to top.
Split-level homes are common here too, and they work differently. The short flights and landings between levels often call for either a curved rail that follows the turns or a separate straight lift on each flight. We measure every flight before recommending one approach over the other.
Walk-up apartments and low-rise buildings bring their own questions. Shared stairways usually need the building owner's approval, and the stair width has to leave room for neighbors to pass.
The county covers 636 square miles, with only about 35 people per square mile, and many rural homes sit on sloped lots. For those households the hard part is often getting from the driveway to the door, not the indoor stairs.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on exterior steps or a porch. Where a wheelchair user needs to get up a few steps, a platform lift can carry the chair itself. We look at both the outside approach and the inside stairs during a visit so nothing gets missed.
About 24.5% of county residents are 65 or older, and 71.4% of households own their home. That means most families looking at a stair lift are changing a house they own, so there is no landlord to ask.
For an owner in Clarkston or Asotin, a stair lift can be what allows someone to keep living in the house once stairs become unmanageable, instead of having to relocate.
Out-of-pocket cost is a real concern here, and several programs can help. Washington's COPES Medicaid waiver covers home modifications that support health, safety and independence, and the DSHS Home & Community Services office at 525 5th St in Clarkston is where Asotin County residents start that process.
Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may use the VA Specially Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptation grants.
For families who do not qualify for a grant, Northwest Access Fund offers home modification loans that name stairlift installation directly. ALTC Southeast Washington, based in Kennewick, is another place to ask about aging services at (509) 735-0315.
A Washington Medicaid waiver for people 65 and older, or 18 and older who are blind or disabled, who meet nursing-facility level of care. It covers home modifications, and a DSHS case manager decides whether a specific stair lift qualifies; call (509) 524-4960.
The local intake office at 525 5th St, Clarkston, WA 99403, where county residents ask for a long-term care assessment and apply for COPES. It is an entry point rather than a funding source, and its page does not list stair lifts; call (509) 524-4960.
A federal grant of up to $126,526 for a permanent home (FY2026), or up to $50,961 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both legs. It covers home accessibility changes, with stair lift approval decided case by case.
A federal grant of up to $25,350 for a permanent home (FY2026), or up to $9,100 for a temporary residence, for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities such as loss of use of both hands. It covers home accessibility changes, and the home may belong to the veteran or a family member.
A nonprofit low-interest loan of up to $60,000 over a maximum 10-year term for Washington, Oregon and Idaho residents with disabilities, including seniors with age-related limitations. Stairlift installation is listed by name; call (206) 328-5116.
Older adults
3311 W. Clearwater Ave., Suite D-100, Kennewick, 99336
Veterans
135 2nd Street, Asotin, 99402
Start with the DSHS Home & Community Services office at 525 5th St, Clarkston, WA 99403, phone (509) 524-4960. A CARE assessment determines whether the person meets nursing-facility level of care, and a case manager decides whether a stair lift fits the approved plan of care.
Yes. COPES also serves adults 18 and older who are blind or disabled, and Northwest Access Fund lends to people of all ages with disabilities. The VA grants depend on service-connected disability, not age.
Sometimes a single curved rail can follow the flights and landings, and sometimes a straight lift on each flight works better. We measure the stairs in person before recommending either.
An outdoor stair lift can run along exterior steps, and a platform lift can carry a wheelchair up a short rise. We check the outside approach along with the indoor stairs.
Asotin County Community Services at 135 2nd Street in Asotin, phone (509) 758-4219, is the listed local veterans contact. The VA Specially Adapted Housing and Special Home Adaptation grants are the main federal home-modification programs.
Northwest Access Fund offers home modification loans up to $60,000 with a maximum 10-year term, and it lists stairlift installation by name. The interest rate is set monthly by its board; call (206) 328-5116.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
